Welcome to Northeastern Alumni Class Notes.

Naomi E. Willender(M.Ed. '73 Inner City Studies)
Willender was awarded, along with several of her family members, the Indiana State Alumni Association Legacy Award. They were recognized during halftime of the Sycamores' Family Day football game.

Nayef S. Abu-Khalaf(M.A. '77 Political Science)
After many years at An-naja University as a lecturer and chairman of the political science department, Abu-Khalaf was appointed as the Minister of Local Governance for the new Palestinian government.

Richard L. Kane(B.A. '82 Business and Management)
Kane, who is a CPA at Welman Bernfield, LLC, in Buffalo Grove, Ill., was included in the Intuitive Accountant's first annual Top 100 ProAdvisor list.

Richard R. Polad(B.A. '84 English and M.A. '95 Earth Science)
Polad recently published his third novel, a Spencer Manning mystery novel titled "Harbor Nights." Polad, an earth science Instructor at College of Dupage, also volunteers with the Coast Guard and plays trumpet with the DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble.

Lisa A. Brown(B.A. '85 Elementary Education - Teacher Education and Early Childhood Education)
Brown was appointed as the new principal for St. Michael Parish School in Wheaton, Ill. Previously she was a third grade teacher in several schools and, most recently, was vice principal of St. Joan of Arc School in Lisle, Ill.

Beverly Bucur(M.A. '86 Reading)
Bucur is serving a two-year term on the board of directors of Soroptimist, a global volunteer organization of women who work to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

Jamie Frodyma(M.A. '89 Guidance and Counseling - Community and Family Counseling)
Frodyma was recently a judge for the Daily Herald's 2014 Academic Team, which recognizes students who consistently excel in academics and make a positive impact on their schools and communities. She is a guidance counselor at Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Richard A. Anderson(B.A. '91 Board of Governors: Economics)
Anderson, who has served on the Board of Trustees for the College of Lake County since 1974, is one of two 2014 recipients of the Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award, presented by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

James T. Keegan(B.A. '93 Speech)
Keegan was named police chief for the city of St. Charles, Ill. Prior to this assignment, Keegan was the police chief of Streamwood, Ill.

Seung H. Hong(B.S. '02 Business and Management - Finance)
Hong is now with the United States Small Business Administration's (SBA) San Diego District Office as a new business opportunities specialist. Prior to transferring to California, Sean worked at the SBA Liquidation and Purchases Center in Herndon, Va., and the Department of Labor as an immigration program analyst.

John M. Zotalis(M.S. '02 Computer Science)
Zotalis is the senior manager of Enterprise Content Management and Enterprise for Health Care Service Corporation. Recently Zotalis gave a presentation entitled "Take Two Updates and Call Me in the Morning: The Future of Healthcare Starts with the Latest ECM Systems" at the Association for Information and Image Management 2014 Conference.

Georgiann Davis(B.A. '04 Sociology)
Davis is joining the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as an assistant professor of sociology in the fall of 2014. She was also recently honored at Northeastern's annual Author's Reception. Additionally, Davis presented a paper titled "Presenting Their Bodies, Their Voices: Children with Intersex Traits," at the 2014 Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Omaha, Neb.

Howard J. Hill(M.A. '05 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Hill, a science teacher at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Ill., was one of four high school teachers honored with the Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Award. As a recipient, he received a cash award, was honored at the Northwestern University Academic Honors Ceremony, and participated in Northwestern's commencement.

Zella (Llerena) Palmer(B.A. '05 Bilingual Education and Elementary Education - Teacher Education)
Palmer was named director of the Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture at Dillard University.

Carlos Jiménez Flores(B.A. '06 Human Resource Development)
Flores was featured in a Chicago Magazine spread about Chicago filmmakers you should know. Flores' film "Mi Princesa" was screened at the 2014 Chicago Latino Film Festival and will air on WTTW, Chicago's Channel 11, in 2015.

David Schwartz(B.A. '11 Communication, Media and Theatre)
Schwartz has joined Century 21 Kreuser and Seiler, Ltd., in Libertyville, Ill. Schwartz specializes in residential property in Lake and Cook counties.

James R. Bell, Jr.(B.A. '12 Interdisciplinary Studies and Social Work)
Bell was featured in a Chicago Tribune article highlighting his career choice as a wellness coordinator with the Chicago non-profit BUILD, Inc. (Broader Urban Development and Leadership Development). Bell implements holistic health programs and activities for at-risk youth in the Austin, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park and Logan Square neighborhoods of Chicago.

Angela Zuniga(B.A. '14 Music and Music Education K - 12)
Zuniga is a Chicago Public School teacher, an active classical singer, and an emerging artist with Vox 3 Collective, Inc., a vocal ensemble in the Chicago area.